When is a serum not a serum?

When it's touted as being both an anti ageing serum and mask.  I'm talking about Purity Organic Skincare's Anti Aging Serum and Mask.  On the subject of anti ageing, how do you spell that word? At school we were taught that if adding an 'ing', take off the 'e'.  Anti ageing seems to be the one lamb that escaped that slaughter.  So what's proper? Ageing or Aging?
 
I have issues with that fact that this product is descibed as being a two in one.  Serums and masks are two totally different things, they're not the first choice of partner I'd think of if I was marrying up facial skincare.  I'd do a moisturiser and eye cream in one.  Serums are meant to be used with a light hand whereas you can really pile a mask on so there's my second problem.  How much of this are you meant to apply it?

The consistency also irks me.  It feels like a watered down face cream.  All the serums and moisturising masks that I've stuck my fingers into have a bit more substance.  This seems wimpy in comparison.

Each time I've used it, I've varied how much I put on.  It doesn't sink in at all.  It forms into a peel off mask and I have to use water to remove the mask and it doesn't add anything to my skin at all.  Adding the water just seems to wash the mask off so I'm not sure how it's meant to make you look younger in 10 minutes?  The instructions suggest leaving it on overnight but with how it makes my face tight, I'm itching it take it off after 15 minutes.  It also fails as as serum, deciding to just linger on the skin and not sinking in as a serum should.

The disrespect it shows for my skin is unparalleled.  Nothing I have ever used has been as bad for my skin as this.  It gives me annoying spots..not the kind that fade within a few days, they're horrible hard things that last ages.  It also gave me a horrible dry patch on my face which was nigh on impossible to get rid of.

It's a shame this was so bad as my previous experiences with the range have been very good, I loved the moisturiser, face wash, exfoliator and cleanser..

I'm on the lookout for a decent moisturising and anti-ageing/aging mask on a budget so if you know of any, let it all out in the comments, thanks!

Oily T Zone? Mix your mud masks and get perfect skin!

It's no secret that I love a good mask.  Being "blessed" with combination skin means I can use one more often than those with normal skin.  In this vein of mask love, I picked up The Sanctuary's 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask with another of my £5 off vouchers.  On my first use, I wasn't really impressed with it.

One thick coat and an hour later, it hadn't dried at all.  A thinner coat gave the same result.  The "thermal" heat is activated by water so you have to apply it to wet skin and even then, the heat is gone by the time you've finished applying it to your nose.  It feels like someone has blasted your skin for a second with a hair dryer on the cool setting.  However, it doesn't have the usual "raw mud" smell, it smells like teabags.

Ater using it, I checked the pores on the side of my nose and was super chuffed to see that they were clear.  Pardon the TMI here but my pores have expanded recently and I can see them full of a white substance that just won't budge.  Nothing else I have used has cleared these pores out.  However, it wasn't as good on my forehead as my Origins Clear Improvement mask.

I would never have thought to use two mud masks at the same time until I read the tips on the back of the 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask box.  The tips stated that if you have combination skin, you should use a mask for oily skin on the T Zone and a mask for normal skin on the cheeks and chin so that all your skin concerns are addressed at once.  So I got thinking..why not use the Origins mask on my forehead and the Sanctuary one on my nose?

Since I've started doing that, my skin has not looked better.  My nose pores are behaving themselves after their once a week clearout and my forehead doesn't grease as it used to.

The main difference between both masks is that the Origins one dries very well on the skin whereas the Sanctuary one doesn't dry at all.  Both are easy to remove, the Origins one flakes off with ease whereas the Sanctuary one can be removed with a wet hand.  There's another difference..if you want a mask to just clear the oil but leave you moisturised, choose the Origins mask..if you want your pores to be sucked clean, choose the mask by The Sanctuary.  The Sanctuary one clears my pores and keeps my nose from greasing up.  If you need help with both issues, buy both!

If you have clogged pores that you struggle to clear then I'd seriously suggest buying this as my pores were terrible but it's worked a right charm.

Moral of this story? 
Mud/charcoal masks, like human beings, were not created equal.  One may be good at one thing, another good at something else.  And don't be scared to experiment with your facial skincare!

The Sanctuary's mask comes in at £10.20 and the Origins mask is £17.36.  You can pick them both up from Boots.

An alternative use for your foundation brush..

Ever since a makeup masterclass at a Benefit boutique, I've been using my Kabuki brush to apply my foundation and it has been a very happy union indeed...or it was, until I washed it and it shed around 90% of its hair.  I need to find another one as I'm not going back to my foundation brush.  Therein lies my second problem..  I have no use for my current foundation brush..

Lameting out loud as I always do, I told Simon about this sorry state of affairs.  His response was simple, use the foundation brush to apply face masks because I always "whinge" about getting them stuck under my nails.

I tried it and it worked brilliantly..the mask was on and my fingers were clean.  It was all an even depth so it dried at the same time.  I find it easier to squirt the mask onto the palm of my hand, dab the brush in it and stroke it across my face.

I remove my moisture giving masks with my fingers and my mud mask with my old Body Shop face brush.

Does anyone else "recycle" their brushes and use them for things they're not specifically made for? A friend of mine uses a concealer brush to put her highlights in..

Review: Origins Clear Improvement Mask

I have never found the one mud/clay mask that I like.  I used to like Superdrug's own one but after a while that made me itch like mad.  I had the Liz Earle one and that didn't really do anything.  It didn't cause me any adverse reaction but it didn't do me any good, either.

I bought this when I reeling from the pain of John Lewis not having my ice cream maker in stock.

I told the SA's that I wanted a mud mask that dried properly on my skin so that I felt it had some benefit.  They assured me it would.

I asked whether it would peel and they told me it wouldn't, but that it would come off without you having to put more water on.  That is my major gripe with some mud masks, they don't dry properly and you have to put water on the get them off.  They should just flake off with a face brush..

Anyway, I traipsed off home deciding that I would use it in the evening.

I didn't..mainly because X Factor was on and I left my bag downstairs and couldn't be bothered to go back down and get it.

I have used it about 5 times since I've had it and without any bias towards the brand at all, I can wholeheartedly say that this is the mask I wanted.

It dries rock solid..I use it when I'm wearing my lens and it stays on me for about 30 minutes or so.  You can leave it on for less time but 30 minutes works best for me.

The colour changes as it dries so can look in the mirror and know when you can start removing it.  When I remove it, it comes away easily with the aid of a face brush.

This photograph was taken when I'd used it a few times and it still looks pretty full.  I use a thin layer and that works really well.

When it's off, it leaves my skin physically looking radiant and very clean.  I never expected a mask like this would do that.  My skin feels soft and I don't feel the need to use a toner to get rid of any residue as there isn't any.

Some mud masks smell a bit funny but this has no tangible smell to it..I also find that the Superdrug one can be a bit watery..this is not like that. 

It retails for £17.00 and can be bought from here.

Which mud/clay masks do you swear by? Are there any decent High Street ones out there?

Review: Korres Pomegranate Scrub and Mask

I know I love Korres, you know I love Korres.

I reviewed the moisturiser before and it is my HG moisturiser, I'm going to buy no other than this until my skin changes (which I hope isn't for ages because you know it took me long enough to find this bad boy).

I've had the mask and scrub just as long as I've had the moisturiser but you can't scrub and mask everyday so this review comes months after the first one.

First the rambling:
I'm always a bit funny when  it comes to masks and scrubs because I feel that some hurt my skin by being too scratchy and others are too wimpy to do anything which helps my skin.

Also, I had boxes for these items and I took photos but my card went a bit funny and both the photos and the boxes are long gone.

I had high hopes for these products as the moisturiser is basically, a don.

So, here's how I got on..

First things first, the Pomegranate range is aimed at those with combo/oily skin so I don't think they would work if your skin was normal or dry (but Korres cater for all different types so you'll find something for you on their website).

The scrub.

Korres say: "A creamy scrub containing naturally derived exfoliating grains. The Olive stones effectively refine the pores, reduce black spots and remove excess sebum, leaving skin radiant. Pomegranate extract, rich in tannins, reduces pore size and rejuvenates the skin. Olive and Calendula active extracts protect the skin due to their antioxidant properties."

I say:
Creamy scrub? I never thought that scrubs were meant to be creamy and I just assumed that a creamy scrub would not clear the oil.  This scrub is pretty creamy as scrubs go (more on oil clearing later on).
Do the olive stones refine pores? When I used the moisturiser it said that it, too refined and reduced pores and I didn't notice until the last few days of using it but this time I made sure to check and my pores definitely looked better whilst using this scrub.
Reduce black spots? I don't have black spots so I can't comment on this but my skin did look more even in tone. 
Remove excess sebum? Hell to the yes, I find a lot of scrubs either don't remove enough sebum or remove too much.  This scrub removed the sebum perfectly.
Radiant skin? Yep, I've never used a scrub which cleared oil and made my skin radiant with as much success as this baby did. 
Pore size reduced? Affirmative.

So, it holds up to all the claims it makes, is there anything else worth me mentioning? I think so (surprise surprise!)  The suggested usage is once every 5-ish days but I find that if you do use it once every 5 days, your skin starts to behave so you can start using it once a fortnight.  Then you can scale back usage to about once a month.  I've been using it without the moisturiser but I think if you use the moisturier as well, you don't need to use the scrub that often.

I like the fact that the packaging for the range is the same colour but different hues, the mask tube is a darker pink than the scrub tube and the moisturier has another shade of pink on the tub.  

Another thing I was impressed with was the fact that it really spreads well, you only need a tiny bit.  I've been using mine exclusively and I only took my photo for it the other day, it still looks pretty full.

The one bad thing about this scrub is something that I have always experienced with scrubs.  After using it, my face did get pretty warm but this feeling faded within 2-3 minutes and it's a minor discomfort considering the results I got from it.

Purchase? I'd be a fool to try something else so it's an all out yes.

You can buy the scrub from here.

The mask.

I haven't used the mask as much as the scrub (despite the suggested usage being "use after the scrub") because I wear glasses.

This might seem like a trivial matter but those of you without glasses will never realise the pain :( I currently don't have any contact lens (thank you very much Specsavers).  I'm getting my eyeware from Tescos (surprising!) for the meantime as they're far better than Specsavers, both in price and customer service.  Can you believe that SS gave me non scratch lens which got scratched? That wasn't the worst thing, they wouldn't even remove the scratch despite being in blatant breach of contract.  I wrote to their HO and they offered me free glasses but I told them to shove it.

Back to the mask! Yes, if you've got glasses and you have to take them off to put a mask on, you try your best to not do it unless you really need it because not being able to see isn't good.

I've used the mask more on my forehead than anywhere else because firstly, you can do that without removing your glasses and secondly, it's the greasiest part of my face.

I have however, used the mask on my face when in the shower and a few times when I'm "resting my eyes" (perving on the Mon when he's getting changed, hehehe).

Korres say it is "formulated with white argil, a natural clay with significant sebum-absorbing  capacity that removes impurities and deeply cleanses the skin, leaving a fresh and radiant complexion. Pomegranate extract, rich in tannins, reduces pore size and rejuvenates the skin. Zinc regulates sebum secretion and provides antibacterial protection, balancing oily skin functions."

I say:
Absorbing sebum? Yes, very good at doing this.  You know how some masks dry you out but then you grease up a few hours later? This mask doesn't do that.  It doesn't give you the extreme clean feeling but it makes your skin feel comfortable. 
Impurities removed? Yep, my skin looked lighter after using it so the dirt was gone. 
Deeply cleansed skin? Yes, properly cleansed which means that my skin felt soft and clean, not tight and clean. 
Fresh and radiant complextion? Indeed, I mentioned before that I looked lighter, I think radiant is the word I meant. 
Reduced pore size? With enough usage your pores shrink so much that you have to actively look for them, they're not the first thing you see when you look at your face in the mirror. 
Rejuvenates skin? As I said above, I don't use this mask as much as I should, I whip it out when I'm feeling super greasy and it really does give me a brand new skin feeling. 
Oily skin balanced? This (I think) is a claim that very few companies make and are able to prove.  I find that a lot of the masks I use will dry my skin out but then give me super greasy skin the day after which is a bit pointless.  The Korres mask totally balanced my skin out, after taking it off, my skin feels really soft and normal.  I'm happy to say that this feeling lasts for quite some time.


Purchase? Yes but if it was a choice between this and the scrub, I'd get the scrub.

You can buy the mask from here.

Does chocolate really give you spots?

Remember way back when I won the Bodyform "prize"?

Well, one of the items I won was this:

 

I thought it would be perfect for me as it had the deep pore cleansing which is something I've needed lately as my skin has been in a right state.

I followed all the instructions properly and then washed it off.

The mask itself smelled really nice, you know how Palmers smells? Like a lighter version of that.

Anyway, I took it off and my face was burning hot..for ages.  Usually it just get a bit warmer for about 5 minutes but even 30 minutes later it still felt on fire.

I had to cool my face down with some aloe vera gel to get it back to a near normal temperature.

The next day I woke up with a million and one spots on my forehead..hello? This mask is meant to clear my pores? Not give me spots?! 

I chucked it in the bin and wouldn't recommend it to anyone with greasy/oily/combo skin.  I think the main problem is the ingredients, it's marketed as a deep pore cleaning mask but yet also has shea butter and cocoa butter in it which are well known as providing a lot of moisture..

I think I'm going to give these masks another try though but this time I will be trying these:

 All images taken from Google

Have you ladies tried these masks? What did you think of them?